In the February 4th issue of New York Magazine, Joel Lovell offers a interesting view of Brooklyn, materialism and what an economic downturn might do to the city. In The Upside of the Downside, I saw myself reflected in Lovell's words on more than one occasion, and laughed on a few more.
Out here in Park Slope, as in other parts of the city, boutique furniture and clothing stores and specialty food and wine shops bred like mayflies, taking the place of old diners and social clubs and dusty shoe-repair stores. Suddenly—I’m guessing it’s around 2003 when this dawns on me—I’m standing in my living room looking at my Pottery Barn furniture, which I’d always kind of liked, and I’m feeling deeply ashamed of my taste. I’m staring at Design Within Reach catalogues like they’re porn. I’m drinking Pinot Noir in my friend’s kitchen and admiring his Wolf range the way guys in some other part of America might stand in a driveway gawking at an engine block. Goddamn, I’m thinking, I would love one of those. As soon as I can buy a brownstone, I’ll renovate my kitchen. And when I renovate my kitchen, I’m getting one of those. And when I get one of those, I’m gonna crank up the burners and smelt some gold.I did a double-take when reading this excerpt, as I had been ogling furniture from Design Within Reach earlier in the day. Nonetheless, I still want my Eames.
